arid

[ ar-id ]

adjective

1. being without moisture; extremely dry; parched:

   arid land;

   an arid climate.

2. barren or unproductive because of lack of moisture:

   arid farmland.

3. lacking interest or imaginativeness; sterile:

   an arid treatment of an exciting topic.

   Synonyms: uninspiring, dreary, pedantic, jejune, uninspired, vapid, tedious, dull

   Antonyms: imaginative, spirited, exciting, interesting, lively

arid

/ ˈærɪd; əˈrɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having little or no rain; dry; parched with heat
2. devoid of interest

arid

/ ăr′ĭd /

1. Very dry, especially having less precipitation than is needed to support most trees or woody plants. Deserts have arid climates.

Derived Forms

• aridity, noun
• ˈaridly, adverb

Other Words From

• a·rid·i·ty [uh, -, rid, -i-tee], ar·id·ness noun
• ar·id·ly adverb
• hy·per·ar·id adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from French or directly from Latin āridus, equivalent to ār(ēre) “to be dry” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴; ash ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

C17: from Latin āridus, from ārēre to be dry

Synonym Study

See dry.

Example Sentences

The design of the novel type of smart crystals, which the researchers named Janus crystals, is inspired by desert plants and animals, which can survive in arid conditions.

From Science Daily

Their analyses revealed a variety of living and possibly active microbes in the most arid areas.

From Science Daily

Think about how vulnerable those hundreds of thousands of displaced children are in Lebanon, one of the most arid countries in the world.

From Los Angeles Times

They would wait under the tree on a late September day until a smuggler led them to a gap in the wall, where 70 miles of arid terrain stretched between them and Tucson.

From Los Angeles Times

All sorts of pines, shrubs and so much more in a region usually thought of as arid.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barren
• bone-dry
• desert
• dusty
• parched